Mechanical base-ball pitcher.



No. 702,4l5.

, c. auwmans.

MECHANICAL BASE BALL PITCHER.

Patented lune l7, I902.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented June l7, I902.

No. 702,4l5.

C. EDWARDS.

MECHANICAL BASE BALL PITCHER.

(Application filed. Jan. 18, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Aaziwa 514%? Noams wzrmsco, PHoYo-uwu, WASHIKCITON,u. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EDWARDS, OF BROOKLYN NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL BASE-BALL PITCHER.

$PECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 702,415, dated June 17,1902.

Application filed January 13 {1902. Serial No. 89,444. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in MechanicalBase-BallPitchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical baseball pitchers, and has for itsobject to provide an improved device of the class described which willpossess points of advantage in convenience, simplicity, inexpensiveness,positiveness and directness of action, effectiveness, and generalefiiciency.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device of theclass described which can be adjusted so as to deliver the ball at theheight desired by the batter.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device of theclass described in which the ball, whether struck by the batter or not,will be returned and delivered to the mechanical pitcher.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device of theclass described which is adapted for exhibition and use atamusement-parks, watering-places,

seaside-resorts, and wherever people congregate for recreation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a mechanical base-ballpitcher embodying my improvements, showinga batter in position. insection, of the pitching device and ball-receiving and delivering meansenlarged. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the end portion of the chute,showing a ball ready for delivery to the pitcher and a second ballresting against the stop near the end of the chute. Fig. 41s aplan viewof the operative parts of a mechanical base-ball pitcher embodying myimprovements.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1' designates a booth which may be of anysuitable construction. Preferably the booth 1 comprises uprights 2 and aroof 3, supported by the uprights. The sides of the booth 1 are inclosedwith any suitable material which will not prevent those persons outsidethe booth 1 Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly from seeing what istaking place therein, but will prevent the ball passing out of thebooth 1. As shown, such sides consist of wire screens 4, the meshes ofwhich are of suitable size to prevent the ball passing through them. Thefloor 5 of the booth 1 is arranged so that the ball 6 will roll back toa position on the opposhown the floor 5 is inclined downwardly from thesides to the center and from the ends to a point a suitable distance inrear of the pitcher 7.

At a convenient point in the booth I the pitcher 7 is placed. Thepitcher 7 consists of mechanical means for projecting a ball to a batter8, standing near the end of the booth 1. Such means may be of anysuitable form and is here shown as a pair of spaced standards 9,arranged one on each side of the center line of the floor 5 of the boothI, a shaft 10, mounted on the standards 9 and provided at one end withtwo pulleys 11, an arm 12, carried by the shaft 10 and projecting atright angles to its axis, and a spring 13, having one end secured to theshaft 10 and normally resting against one side of the arm 12 and havinga cup 14 near its other end adapted to receive the ball 6.

A motor 15 of any of the ordinary forms is provided and connected withone of the pulleys 11 to drive the shaft 10 At a suitable distance tothe rear of the pitcher 7 and in alinement therewith are arranged meansfor temporarily arresting the movement of the spring 13 as the shaft 10is rotated for the purpose of tensioning the spring 13 and causing itwhen released to project the ball 6 from the cup 14.- to the batter.

In the form shown such detaining means embody a pair of spaced standards16, secured to the floor 5 of the booth 1 and, if desired, provided withinclined braces 17, one end of whichis secured to the floor and. theother end of which is secured to one of the standcut in the standards16, and set-screws 21, by means of which the cross-piece'lS may be heldat the desired height. The cross-piece 18 is arranged to engage the endof the spring 13 and temporarily stop the movement of the spring 13during the rotation of the shaft 10 for the purpose of tensioning thespring 13. The amount of such tension is regulated by the adjustment ofthe cross-piece 18. \Vhen in the progress of the rotation of the shaft10 the end of the spring 13 slips off the crosspiece 18, the release ofthe spring 13 projects the ball 6 from the cup 14 to the batter 8.

At the point in the rear of the pitcher 7 where all the inclines in thefloor 5 of the booth 1 meet and on each side of the center line of thefloor 5 is arranged a suitably-braced standard 22. Ashaft 23, carryingtwo spaced sprocket-wheels 24, has its ends journaled at the foot of thestandards 22, so that the sprocket-wheels 24 extend below the level ofthe floor 5 of the booth 1. A shaft 25, provided at one end with apulley 27, is mounted on the standards 22. An endless belt 28 connectsthe pulley 27 and one of the pulleys 11. Two sprocket-wheels 26 aremounted on the shaft intermediate the standards 22. Sprocketchains 29pass over the said sprocket-wheels 24 and 26. Secured to the outside ofthe sprocket chains 29 at intervals are buckets 30, open at their topsand of suitable size to receive one of the balls 6. The buckets 30 areadapted to be carried through an opening 31 in the floor 5 of the boothI and below the level of such floor 5. The balls 6 roll, by reason ofthe inclines in the floor 5 of the booth 1, to a position in rear of theopening 31 and rest against the rear of the sprocket-chains 29, fromwhich position they are taken one at a time by the buckets 30. A chute32 is arranged to receive the balls 6 from the buckets 30 and conveythem to the cup 14. In the form shown the chute 32 has an end extendingunder the bucket 30 as they pass over the shaft 25 and is provided witha suitable support 33. The other end of the chute 32 eX- tends betweenthe standards 16 and is open. A pivoted stop 34 is arranged in thebottom of the chute 32 near the open end thereof and is adapted totemporarily detain the balls 6 in said chute 32. The bottom of the chute32 is slotted for some distance from its open end to permit the passageof the end of the spring 13, which in passing through such slot tripsthe pivoted stop 34 and releases one of the balls 6. From each side ofthe open end of the chute 32 extends a leaf-spring 35, having its freeend flared outward. The springs 35 are adapted to receive one of theballs 6 as it rolls from the chute 32 and deliver it into the cup 14 asthe latterpresses the springs 35 apart in passing therebetween.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understoodand appreciated. The motor 15 is started after the batter 8 has takenhis place, and through the pulleys 11 drives the shafts 10 and 25. One

of the buckets 30 in rising above the floor 5 picks up one of the balls6, and as the bucket 30 passes over the shaft 25 drops the balls 6 intothe chute 32. As the spring 13, carried by the shaft 10 in its rotation,passes, its end releases the stop 34 and permits the ball 6 to fallbetween the springs 35. The cup 14 presses the springs 35 apart andpermits the ball 6 to drop into said cup 14. When the end of the spring13 engages the cross-piece 18, the movement of the spring 13 is checked,and when the continued movement of the shaft 10 releases it the recoilof the spring against the arm 12 throws the ball 6 from the cup 14 tothe batter 8. If the batter 8 strikes or fails to strike the ball 6, itwill nevertheless roll into position to be again picked up by one of thebuckets 30. This device will furnish exercise and amusement not only tothe batter 8, but to those outside, and will prove a novel andattractive feature of amusemerit-resorts.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arran gement as herein described and illustrated, as itis manifest that variations and modifications may be made in thefeatures of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the deviceto various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention andimprovements. Itherefore reserve the right to allsuch variation and modification as properlyfall within the scope of myinvention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. A mechanical base-ball pitcher, comprising a booth provided withscreened sides, a spring provided with a cup to hold the ball andcarried by a revolving shaft, means of mechanically collecting andplacing the balls in said cup, means of arresting the movement of saidspring for a limited time, and means of operating the same.

2. The combination with a mechanical baseball pitcher, of a screenedinclosure to prevent the escape of the ball, a floor inclined from alldirections to a predetermined point to guide the ball to such point, anendless belt carrying buckets to elevate the ball, means for operatingsaid belt and delivering the ball to the pitcher.

3. The combination with a mechanical baseballpitchcr, provided withmeans for recovering the ball, of an open-ended chute having its bottomslotted for some distance from its open end and provided with a pivotedstop projecting at one end through the bottom to engage the ball and atthe other end into the slot and with springs projecting from the sidesof its open end to clamp the ball between them, and means for tiltingthe stop and releasing the ball and for pressing apart the springs anddelivering the ball to the pitcher.

IIO

4. The combination with a mechanical baseball pitcherprovided with meansof recovering the ball and delivering the ball to the pitcher, of shaftscarrying sprocket-wheels connected by sprocket-chains provided withbuckets interposed between the recovering means and the delivery meansand adapted to carry the ball from one to the other, and meansforoperating one of said shafts.

5. A mechanical base-ball pitcher, comprising two spaced standards, ashaft mounted on said standards and provided at one end with a pulley,an arm carried by said shaft and projecting therefrom at right angles tothe axis of said shaft, a spring secured at one end to said shaft andnormally resting against said arm and provided near its other end withoHAaLEs EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

HARTWELL P. HEATH, J OHN M. HOCTOR.

